Category Archives: Journals

In 2011, we’ll be switching our Habana notebooks over to the same paper as Quo Vadis France. The ones we sell in North America will still be made in the US, but they’ll now contain ivory colored paper that’s 85g in both small and large (and lined and unlined) versions.

The decision was made in the interests of international standardization.

I know people have strong preferences when it comes to white vs. ivory, and all Clairefontaine brand notebooks will continue to be filled with bright white paper — as will the Rhodia pads, though the Webbies have ivory paper. If you’re looking for a notebook that’s got white paper AND a Habana type cover, keep in mind that you can get much the same effect with a Clairefontaine basics notebook and a leatherette planner cover. I’ll be experimenting with other planner cover/Clairefontaine combos in the weeks to come.

As opposed to the French versions, Habanas sold in North America had 90 g paper and a bright white paper.

Both Habanas and Webbies are difficult to obtain in my part of the world without paying very expensive shipping costs, so I normally pick them up as treats for myself when I travel. But I did like the Habanas I tried.

From a business point of view, I realize that those of us who are book and pen nuts really are a niche market (likely even a dying breed whether or not we admit it…), so I understand the need to streamline processes both to save money and to keep prices reasonable. But that still doesn’t change the fact that whenever we lose options, particularly for something as personal and emotional as paper quality and journals, it saddens me.